OTC technology award winner: Production grows on the front end

By Tanya Rutledge

Published 11:54 pm, Friday, May 4, 2012

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Using the Pazflor Subsea Separation System, developed by FMC and TOTAL, the Pazflor field is the first full-scale greenfield development with subsea separation and boosting to produce two different grades of oil. Photo courtesy of FMC Technologies less

Using the Pazflor Subsea Separation System, developed by FMC and TOTAL, the Pazflor field is the first full-scale greenfield development with subsea separation and boosting to produce two different grades of ... more

Photo: NA

OTC technology award winner: Production grows on the front end

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The installation of equipment to separate gas from water on the seafloor in Total's new Pazflor field was a ground-up effort on a very large scale.

The field, which is off Angola and spans 238 square miles, represents the first use of subsea separation and boosting (the pumping of water back into a subsea reservoir to boost production) in a new field that will produce light and heavy oil.

It also is the first time any subsea-separation technology has been used off West Africa.

The technology being used was developed by FMC Technologies and Total in an effort to boost production on the front end, rather than waiting until later in the life cycle of the field.

"The idea was to put in production and processing equipment as wells were being drilled, when everything was new," said Brad Beitler, vice president of technology at FMC.

Pazflor will produce oil and gas from 25 wells that will be supported by 22 water injection wells and two gas injection wells, drilled in four reservoirs in water depths of up to 4,000 feet.

Because the reservoirs contain very heavy oil, separation was necessary at the subsea level using FMC's Pazflor system, which was developed in conjunction with Total. The heavy oil will make up about two-thirds of the total production at Pazflor.

"The idea was to step back and move to put more and more separation equipment on the seabed, eliminating the need for a floating vessel, which can be more expensive," Beitler said.